Six state Senators representing Monmouth and Oceans Counties have written to New Jersey’s U.S. Senators and Members of Congress asking for help in correcting inequities and inefficiencies in the federal government’s response to Superstorm Sanday.

In a letter dated March 31, Senators Jennifer Beck and Joe Kyrillos of Monmouth County, Robert Singer, Christopher Connors and James Holzapfel of Ocean County and Sam Thompson of Middlesex raised six issues concerning Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the Small Business Administration (SBA), FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation(RREM) grant program.

With all those agencies and initials, how could anything be going wrong?

Two former New Jersey political powerhouses joined NJTV’s Michael Aron on his weekly show, On the Record, this week to discuss the 2013 gubernatorial race, the 2014 U.S. Senate race and to reminisce about the good old days… the governors they served under and how the climate has changed in Trenton since the days when they held power.

Democrat Joe Doria served in the State Assembly from 1980-2004. He was Speaker in the 1990-1992 session. Doria left the Assembly after losing the Democratic primary in 2003. In 2004, he was elected by the Hudson Democratic Committee to fill the State Senate term vacated by the death of Senator Glenn Cunningham, who was also the mayor of Jersey City. Doria also served as mayor of Bayonne from July of 1998 through October of 2007. He resigned from the Senate and as mayor when Governor Jon Corzine nominated him to become the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, one of the most powerful Cabinet positions in the State. His public career came to a sudden end in July of 2009 when Corzine announced his resignation as DCA commissioner after his home was raided in the Operation Bid Rig sweep the resulted in 44 arrests. Doria was never arrested and the U.S Attorney’s Office cleared him of all charges in October of 2011.

Republican John Bennett is chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Committee. He served in the State Legislature for 24 years, 10 in the Assembly and 14 in the Senate. While a Senator, Bennett was co-president of the chamber with Richard Codey during first two years of the McGreevey administration. Bennett was Acting Governor for 3 1/2 days, during the week between the Whitman/DiFrancesco administration and the McGreevey administration when New Jersey had five governors…DiFrancesco, Codey, Bennett, former Attorney General John Farmer and McGreevey.

Bennett’s career as a senator came to an end after he was defeated at the polls by Ellen Karcher, then a member of the Marlboro Township Committee. The Asbury Park Press ran Bennett out of office with a relentless series of articles, over a period of months, over a billing irregularity while he was Marlboro’s Township Attorney. Bennett was cleared of any wrong doing by the Feds in March of 2007.

Bennett is collecting a $90,000 annual pension from his years in the legislature and a plethora of part time law appointments tacked together to provide a handsome income.

In Chris Christie:The Inside Story of His Rise to Power, authors Bob Ingle and Michael Symons describe U.S. Attorney Christie’s reluctance to use Solomon Dwek as informant during the Operation Bid Rig investigation in 2006. “Do I really want to get in bed with this guy?” Christie is described as asking his deputies who were pushing for approval to make Dwek an informant.

Ironically given how Democrats and defendants have argued that the July 2009 arrests based on Dwek’s sting were politically motivated to help Christie, the Deputy U.S. Attorneys advocating the sting argued to Christie that he would have been acting politically if he did not approve Dwek’s cooperation.

If this Star Ledger article by Matt Friedman is an indication of charades to come this summer, the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee will make Joe Oxley’s confirmation hearing for his Superior Court Judgeship nomination a payback for the unceremonious end to former House Speaker, Senator and Commissioner of Community Affairs Joe Doria’s career when he his home was raided during the July 2009 federal operation.

Doria has been cleared of any wrongdoing. He has a letter from the U.S. Attorney, just like John Bennett does, but his career in public service is over. Maybe Doria can become Chairman of the Hudson County Democrats some day.

U.S. Senate nominee Joe Kryillos is in the Democrats sites as well. Dwek is the ammunition.

Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski Tuesday issued a list of questions for Kyrillos, including how often he met with Dwek, what was discussed, who else was in attendance and whether he was ever contacted by law enforcement about it. “If you deny this and suggest Dwek is lying, does that raise the possibility with you that Dwek’s testimony that convicted others should be questioned?” Wisniewski wrote.

Kyrillos campaign spokesman Chapin Fay did not directly respond to Wisniewski, instead repeating that Kyrillos did nothing to help Dwek.

During the trial of Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez it was revealed that among the diobalical schemes Dwek deployed in the 14 years leading to his 2006 arrest was a life insurance scam. Dwek paid the life insurance premiums of people close to death who could not afford to keep their policies. Upon the death of the insured, Dwek would give the deceased’s family 10% of the policy proceeds and pocket the rest.

Dwek’s father tried to get Soloman a pardon from President George W. Bush. Maybe President Obama will pardon Dwek if he helps knock Chris Christie down a notch and helps keep Bob Menendez in the Senate.

The majority of Monmouth County’s legislative delagation has signed a letter endorsing State Committeewoman and Ocean Township Municipal Chair Christine Hanlon in her quest to become the next Chair of the Monmouth County Republcian Committee.

Senators Joe Kyrillos and Jennifer Beck were joined by Assembly Members Amy Handlin, Mary Pat Angelini and Dave Rible in signing the letter that was mailed to county committee members and candidates.

We are writing to you today to endorse State Committeewoman and Ocean Municipal Chairwoman Christine Hanlon as the next Chair of the Monmouth County Republican Party and ask you to vote for her on June 12th.

Christine has been an integral part of our recent Republican successes at every level. She has served as the Monmouth Coordinator for both the McCain-Palin presidential campaign and the Christie- Guadagno gubernatorial campaign. She has run the last three Monmouth County Republican Victory Galas, and many other fundraising events, raising in excess of $500,000 for the party. For the past three years, she has assisted the Chairman in the coordination of our county campaigns, and worked with him to develop campaign plans, including strategy and voter targeting, direct mail and our county wide vote by mail program.

Just as importantly, Christine has worked to develop and sustained grassroots network, increased volunteer participation and increased communication from the organization to people like you, the lifeblood of our party. As Chair, she will continue her efforts to keep you informed and involved and continue to raise the money needed to win aggressive campaigns.

With the recent nomination of Monmouth County Republican Chair Joe Oxley to become the Superior Court bench, we must find a new Chair who will continue his recent successes in leading our party. Christine Hanlon has played an integral part in those successes and we are writing today to ask you to vote for Christine to succeed Chairman Oxley as Monmouth County Republican Chair.

We strongly endorse Christine Hanlon for Chairwoman, and ask that you vote for her at the upcoming Monmouth County Republican Convention.

East Brunswick, NJ – On March 16, the Monmouth County GOP selected Ernesto Cullari as their choice to defeat Frank Pallone. Saturday, March 24, the Middlesex GOP voted Anna Little to take their line, making it clear they had no intentions of keeping the party in district 6 united during the most trying election cycle of our time.

As of two weeks ago, Little was fiercely running for US Senate against Joe Kyrillos. She campaigned by asking for donations and signatures from supporters. Knowing her obvious failure, Little then decided to run against newcomer Ernesto Cullari. Her decision came just days after Cullari’s announcement.

In 2010, Little was defeated by over 10% by incumbent Democrat, Frank Pallone.

“It’s a shame we are dealing with a split line in District 6. With the ballot having Obama on top this year, it would have been better for the Middlesex GOP to unite through the primary. On Tuesday, June 5th the voters in both counties will decide which Republican they want to represent them against Frank Pallone. After Anna Little’s approximate 10% loss in 2010, and failed U.S. Senate run, I think the choice will be clear to them. Ernesto Cullari is focused on one thing; beating Frank Pallone in November and returning the position to the constituency of district 6″, said, Charles Measley, Campaign Manager.

“My team and I are undeterred that the Middlesex County GOP did not vote in our favor, but this in no way means we will back down. Monmouth County GOP has put their trust in me to defeat Frank Pallone in November and that is what I intend to do.” Congressional Candidate, Ernesto Cullari.

Ernesto Cullari is a businessman, medical professional, and columnist for local newspapers. Ernesto is prepared to take the fight to Jersey’s most corrupt politician and the author of “Obama-Care”, Frank Pallone.

Middletown- Trenton Democrats’ empty budgetary promises and political rhetoric just more of the same.Senator Joe Kyrillos released the following statement demanding that Trenton Democrats take a moment to understand that their election year games have real consequences.

“Trenton Democrats are using an election year to play on the emotions and real issues of our neediest citizens. By passing a budget filled with empty promises – but no funding – Trenton Democrats have crossed the line into the dangerous and disingenuous. Not only are they playing election year politics, they are doing so in a manner that misleads the public about specific programs, as well as the state’s finances. Democrats overstate the surplus while ignoring that education funding has gone up $850 million over last year, funding for the AIDS Drug Distribution Program has been protected at the same level as last year, and hospital funding has gone up by $20 million.

“If these Democrats have any sense of decency they will be honest with the people they claim they want to help, instead of continuing to put forward myths, lies and distortions about what we can really afford.”